Ousmane Dembélé put things straight on Sunday in the mixed zone after the victory over Lyon (3-1). And, in his own way, avoided the tensions that seemed to have arisen between his trainer Luis Enrique and him: “We are not brothers, he is not my father,” he slipped into a smile. . It’s a coach-player relationship. I’ve known him for a little longer. We try to do everything so that Paris Saint-Germain grows, wins titles, plays well and pleases everyone. »
Since his sanction at the beginning of October and his non-call-up for the clash against Arsenal (2-0 defeat) in the Champions League, the bond between the two men had weakened. Luis Enrique had decided to dismiss Ousmane Dembélé, now the club’s best-known player after the departure of Kylian Mbappé, because of a delay in training and a “commitment problem”.
“A very nice person”
“I’ve known him for years. I always defended him as a player, the coach explained in detail on Tuesday at a press conference. He is a very nice person. From there, I want Ousmane to give the best version of himself. It’s the same with all the other players. When I make a decision with a player, if I consider that it is necessary to act in this way for him and for the team, I do it. »
“I like to be close to the players, to be in continuous contact, but I can’t do it with everyone. But when a player doesn’t really want to see me, I try to respect his space and accept his position,” continued the technician, who has more and more power within the club and the locker room.
Luis Enrique’s paid strategy
Following this decision to dismiss Dembélé, tensions arose between the two men and increased after the exclusion of the Frenchman against Bayern Munich (1-0 defeat), considered by the coach as a “serious error towards the collective.”
This exclusion after receiving a first unnecessary yellow card for protest greatly annoyed Luis Enrique, who put him on the bench for the following two matches, against Nantes (1-1) and Auxerre (0-0) in Ligue 1.
Had he paid for this expulsion? “No, it’s still a message that I like to convey […]my obsession is to see players who want to fight”, then replied the coach, the one who described Dembélé last season as “the most destabilizing player in the world”.
And his strategy paid off: Sunday evening, Ousmane Dembélé was lined up against OL (3-1 victory), and even scored on his first opportunity, showing composure in front of goal, something that happens quite rarely , as he is criticized for his lack of accuracy.
It’s his 6e goal of the season, as many as last season in all competitions (6 goals). Against Lyon, against whom he was aligned in false N.9 at the start of the match, despite a few discreet moments, he regained his agility, his unpredictability and his pressing, which Paris will need again on Wednesday against the Monegasques , third in Ligue 1. Absent at Arsenal, sent off against Bayern, Dembélé will be even more expected for the third Champions League shock, in January against Manchester City.
* The meeting was brought forward due to the Champions Trophy, which will be played between the two teams on January 5, at the same time as the 16th day.
